Crate



Oct. 11,1927; 1 1,644,865

(2. A. wooLsEY ET AL. .CRATE Filed pril 14, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet! 2 CflAmEsAk oom-EY HEN Y 1! OWMAN JTfoR/m rs v INVENTOR6.

Oct. 11,1927. 1,644,865

0. A. WOOLSEY ET AL CRATE Filed April 1 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTQRS Chm/ass AJt OOLSEY HENRY ll WMA/V Uix Mm! I jfrromvsrs Patented Get. 11, 1927.

UNlTED STATES PATENT G-F'FICE. 7

CHARLES A. WOOLSEY AND HENRY V. BO'WMAN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A SIGNORS TO NORTHWESTERN COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER 00,, GE ST. PAUL, MINNE- SO'IA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

CRATE.

Application filed April 14,1924. Serial No. 706,314.

The object of our present invention is to provide improved means for supporting the bottom of a crate to the end that it can be easily and quickly assembled and securedto the crate walls.

A further object is to provide a crate bottom which will be extremely strong and durable in construction and capable of withstanding a rough usage to which a crate is frequently subjected.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations all as hereinafter described an d particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crate embodying my invention Figure 2 is a similar view of the crate bottom removed from the crate;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the crate bottom shown in Figure 2 illustrating the manner of securing it to the walls of the crate;

Figure 4- is a sectional. view on the line H of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 8;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a crate bottom showing a modified construction;

Figure 7' is a sectional viewon the line 77 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a sectional View of a modified form of the invention, taken on the line 88 of Figure 9;

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 99 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a detail sectional view showing a modified means for supporting the bottom in the crate. Figs. 11 and 12 are details of a modified construction.

In the drawing, 2 represents the side walls of the crate and 3 the end walls secured together at the corner by angle plates i and having at the bottom thereinforcing and bracing corner irons 5 which extend up on the outside of the crate corners and on the inside has ears 6 and 7 secured respectively to the end and side walls of the crate. These walls as indicated are preferably composed of a series of narrow slats placed edge to ed e and held by the corner plates and as indicated in Figure 1 the side and end walls preferably have ventilating gaps 8 formed by removing the middle portions of one of the slats in each wall. This, however, forms a portion of the subjectmatt-er of Patent Number 1,594,029, granted July 27,. 1926, and we therefore make no claim to the same herein, this application being drawn particularly to the improved bottom for the crate and the means for securing it, to the walls.

' In Figure 2, we have illustrated one style of bottom comprising channel bars 9 adapted to receive the ends of the slats 10 and 11 composing the bottom of the crate. The bars 9 are preferably formed from sheetmetal of suitable gage, preferably galva nized, and the slats are spaced apart in these bars and one of the flanges of the channel has ears 12 pressed therefrom and turned down into the gaps between the bars for the purpose of holding them in position. movement but any considerable lateral motion will be prevented by t-he ears. The outer slats as shown plainly in Figure 3 are preferably of thicker material than those in the middle to form runners or shoes on which the crate may be pushed from point to point on the floor, the under surface of 'these'slats preferably depending below the side and end walls and forming the only contact of the crate. with the floor. The

The slats'may have a slight lateral omitting the ears 12 and placing the slats in the bars in contacting relation to make a solid bottom and securing the outer slats in the bars by suitable means such as rivets 15. The ears 13 at the ends of the bars correspond to those shown in Figure 1 and we will designate them by the same reference numeral with the addition of the exponent a and we willindicate the bar itself in Figures 6 and 7 by numeral 9*. 'The outer slat in Figure 6 is made thicker than the others for the same purpose as described with reference to the previous figures,

. figures.

In Figures 8 and. 9, we have shown another modification which consists in providing a channel bar 9 and forming longitudinal slots 16 in the ends thereof to receive the ears 6 of the corner irons, the bars and irons being assembled and then placed in position in the crate and secured by rivet-s 14* passing through the walls of the box and the inner and outer portions of the corner irons. Evidently, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, these irons will sustain the load of the bottom of the crate and whentheparts are assembled and secured in the crate, it will be impossible for the bottom to become sepa rated:

In Figure 10, we have shown a'channel bar 9 having the bottom slats mounted therein in the manner described with reference to Figure 7 'butthe'supporting cars 13? instead of being formed tofit the end wall of the crate and secured thereto are folded to bear on the side walls and are supported by the same'rivetsf that secure the ears 7 of the corner irons .to the side walls. In other respects, the bottom is substantially the same as described with reference to the previous Evidently with this construction, the bottom of the crate will be firmly held and capable of withstanding any load to which the crate may be subjected. At the same time, Whenever desired, the supporting rivets may be cut andthe bottom easily and quickly removed for substitution or repairs.

In Figure 11, we have shown a modified construction which consists in providing an angle bar having a vertical flange 1'? to fit against the end wall of the container or .crate and secured thereto by rivets 14 corresponding to those for a s milar purpose illustrated in Figure 3. The horizontal flange 18 of the angle bar supports the floor slats 10 and 11. and these slats are secured to the angle by rivets 19.

In Figure 12, we have shown a modified means for securing the floor which consists in a plate 20 bridging the ends of the bottom stats and secured to the slats 10 by a rivet 19?. Evidently, when the supporting rivets are severed, the angles and the bottom may be easily and quickly removed from the container or crate.

lVe claim as our invention:

1. A crate comprising side and end walls and reinforcing means at the corners for securing said walls together, corner irons fitting the lower corners of the crate and secured to the adjacent side and end walls. bars fitting said end walls on the inside. of.

, the crate, and having ears secured to said end walls through said reinforcing-means and said'corner. irons, and a bottom having its ends inserted into said bars and supported and secured thereby.

A container comprising side and end walls, angle plates for reinforcing said side and end walls at the corners; corner irons provided at the bottom of said container'and having ears extending upwardly on the inner and outer side of the. corners, bars seated against said end walls and having horizontal flanges, and a bottom for said container seated on said flanges, said bars having upright flanges and rivets passing through said upright flanges and through the ears of said corner irons and securing said bars 

